The Portland daily press., 1887-01-05
RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
A Train on the Boston & Albany
Road Wrecked.
One Person Killed and Several Seri-
ously Injured.
A Large Amount of Mall Matter
Burned.

llcan, In an extra edition at II m, has the
following account of the accident:
A frightful railroad accident occurred
early this morning, ON the Boston & Albany
railroad, at Mitteneague, in which one man
was killed and IA persons were injured, four
badly but not fatally. The Modoc express
from Albany, due in this city at $50 a. m,
but one hour late, jumped the track 200 yards
above the Mitteneague depot, and ran into
freight train on siding, wrecking the
freight cars, the baggage and mail car, the
smoking car, passenger car, and also a
freight engine.
The express, made up of the wrecked cars,
engine 95, Boston & Albany express car at
tached to the engine uninjured and two
sleepers, the New York Central car Elberon
and Wagner sleeper Tuscarora, through
car from Chicago was delayed an hour at AL
bany, waiting for snow-bound trains. 1t
was driven at full speed to make up for lost
time Rounding the curve and coming down
to the Mitteneague station before South
worth's mill was reached, wheel on the
truck of the forward car-the baggage car
broke. A few yards beyond siding opens,
south Of the track. The broken wheel
caught in the guard rail and threw the cars
on that side track. A few rods down, in
front of the Agawam Canal Company's
building loaded freight cars were standing.
The forward coaches struck these with vio-
lence. They were thrown from the track
over on their sides, and the coaches piled in
a wreck. The shock threw the baggage and
mail car off to the other side, where it
crashed broadside into the engine Of the
early morning local freight, which had just
come in and come to a stop at the depot. The
express engine did not leave its track, but
was cleared and ran on. The air brakes
were put on the sleepers and stopped them
without damage or injury to the passengers,
beyond severe jostllng. The wrecked cars
sengers in the smoker and regular coach
dragged themselves out through broken
windows as best they could. Few knew how
they escaped. The baggage master had
race with the fire to get out. He escaped
with bruises. The cars burned fiercely.
The baggage and mail car, which had COM
pletely wrecked the freight engine, burned
to cinders. The mail-two or three tons of
it-usually carried in closed pouches, was
badly burned, and but little, and that char
red, was saved.
Help came at once from the train hands
and mill operatives just going to work. The
wounded were taken to the houses thirty
yards away, and tenderly cared for. DR.. l.:
Freck of this city,, and Dr. N. II. Flagg OF
Mitteneague, were sent for, and the Spring
field fire department summoned by telephone
Chief Engineer Leshure and one fire engine
went over, and the engine drawn up near
the depot, laid down line Of hose and
played on the burning cars. Before the fire
could be put out the forward cars laid in
ashes and the passenger coach was burned
down 10 the floor. Then, when the cars
could be searched was found the charred
body of a man burned to cinder, the only
means of Identification left being the letters
~. s." on his cap. An hour later, in the
ruined baggage car was found the half
burned corpse of Mr.. jerks of Ludlow,
which his widow was bringing from Chicago
for burial at Ludlow.
The wrecking engine was soon on hand,
and by $50 O'Clock, when the debris could be
handled, was put to work to clear it away,
the fragments of the mail were taken to the
post Office. The doctors cared for the
wounded, and found but four or five badly
injured. The uninjured passengers went to
houses in the town or to this city. 1t Is for
tunate that the sleeping cars did not reach
the freight cars, and $50 escaped wrecking
otherwise the loss OF life would have been
very much larger
Two bodies, burned beyond all recognition,
had been dug out Of the charred debris OF
the wreck at 10 o'clock this morning, and at
least 10 or 20 persons had been found to be
wounded, two or three being seriously
hurt. One of the bodies is supposed to be
that Of Mr.. jerks, who recently died, and
was being taken to Ludlow for burial. The
second body was taken from the ruins of the
smoking car 1t is burned into an unrecog-
nizable mass, and has not yet been identi-
fed, but it is thought to be the remains OF a
soldier, who has not been seen since the acci-
dent.
The following is list of the wounded:
Charles S. Packard. printer Of Westneld, very
seriously hurt about the loins and head.
Mrs. Jane M. jerks, of Troy, N. T., badly
bruised.
OF Mrs. jerks, severe sprains and an ankle out OF
joint.
the Connecticut River railroad, cut ABOUT tne
James B. Childs of Syracuse, N. Y, bruised and
badly cut about the knees.
Francis L. Thompson Of Campelo, Mass, hurt
about the hips.
7. ana Emeline Dwyer Of Honolulu. Sandwich
Islands, badly bruised and cut.
Mary Severino, Of Honolulu, step.daughter of
the Dryers, flesh wound on face, ear cut and 9TH
erwise bruised.
the face, badly shaken up and bruisedi badly
but not dangerously hurt.
Mrs. Z. A. S. whitford of Providence, shaken
up and somewhat bruised.
Lester Worden of Springfield, employed by FISK
Manufacturing Company, terribly cut on the leg:
shoulder dislocated.
Conductor George A. Chaplin of this city,
bruised on the nose and right temple.
Il. G. Rawson of Mt. Hope, Sedgwick county,
Kansas on his way to Worcester, cut on the right
{. H. Clark TX (coiored) of Windsor Locks, Ct,
pitched through window. cut on fingers and leg
P.J. O'Reiily of Ashfeld p. O.. bound for
Framngham clothes torn and generally bruised.
Dexter Drury of Framingham, leg bruised and
Charles Van wyck of Lockport, N. Y, teeth
knocked out and scalp torn.